Birthdays and Surprises
by 16abennett
Summary: It was Kate's Birthday, but instead of receiving something, will she lose the best gift she has ever gotten?


**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, just the amazing friend I got because of it!**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!**

**This one is to Sarah, I love you! You are the best fan-girl friend and best friend anybody could ask for! Happy 16****th****!**

He had to get her back. That surprise she pulled for him on his birthday had to be topped, it just had to! Yes, it was so sweet of her to do that for him, in fact it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him, but that doesn't mean that he can't try to out-surprise her. And Castle thinks he has the perfect plan. His only problem is that he doesn't really understand the difference between secretive and distant.

He was putting in all of his time to get his plan to work. If it meant that he had to stay home from his duties of being a shadow to one of New York's best detectives, then he would do it for her. Rick had so many ideas coursing through his mind that just happened to appear at the most random times. He would have to write them down right away when he got them, or else Castle knew he would lose them. If it was the middle of the night, Castle was forced to go into his office, scribble down a few notes, and then secretly hide them away in a drawer. Some of these nights, Kate would wake up and see his spot empty next to her.

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It was a week before her birthday, Kate thought to herself, why did it feel like he was pulling away? He would miss work at the 12th for no reason. He would leave bed in the middle of the night, or sometimes in the morning she would hear him sneaking in the front door, trying to be quiet, but ultimately failing. She could feel what was going to happen; she thought he was leaving her. He could be cheating on her with some girl that had something she didn't; maybe a girl who wasn't broken or damaged goods. But then again, she thought, it was a week before her birthday. Maybe he was doing something good instead of leaving, but that didn't explain the lonely nights and sneaking out. Whatever it was, she would stick with him until she found out or got some solid evidence.

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This had to be perfect. It was three days before her birthday. He had to go out in the night so that he could hide the things needed for the surprise party. Yes, he knows she threw him one, but the surprise would be more the gift, or gifts, and less of the party. Lanie, the boys, her father, his mother, and Alexis were in on the party, but they also caught onto how Kate was interpreting all of this. They saw the pain in her eyes when she had to work a case without him. They heard the quiver in her voice when she would ask where he was, but due to their promise to the writer in question; they had to keep their lips sealed.

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Two days before her birthday, Castle had just returned home from the store to find Kate in the bathroom hutched over the toilet seat with tears streaming down her face. Quickly, Rick dropped all of his bags and went to pull back Kate's hair as she got sick for the final time, rubbing soothing circles on her back in the process.

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"Castle, you don't have to do this. I know you don't even want to be here anymore, let alone pretend you care while I'm sick." Kate spat out with anger lacing her voice.

"Kate… what is that supposed to mean?!" Rick shot back.

"Don't play dumb, Castle. You're leaving me, isn't it obvious? You have been pulling away little by little over these past two weeks. Sneaking off? Leaving bed? What else am I supposed to think Castle?" Kate said, keeping a steady gaze to the floor, avoiding his eyes that she could feel on her. She felt his had tilt her face towards his and then his lips brush lightly against hers.

"I'm not leaving Kate; I just had some things I needed to take care of." Castle explained, but Beckett still looked very skeptical of his explanation, "Come on Kate, would someone who was leaving kiss you right after you just threw up? That just shows how much I love you and that I am defiantly not leaving you."

"Then would you care to explain what the hell you have been up to?" Kate said, finally giving up out of exhaustion and leaning into his side with her head on his shoulder.

"I'm afraid not, my dear detective. It is a secret, but I will tell you that it is a good one, not one that involves me sleeping around or leaving you, sweetheart." Rick said, placing a kiss into her hair.

Kate tensed at the pet name and lightly shoved her elbow into his gut, "Just because I have the flu or something doesn't mean that you can call me that, _kitten_." He murmured his apologies, not really meaning any of it. He loved to call her sweetheart because, deep down, he knew she loved it too. He knew by the spilt-second smile on her face before she put on her little 'I'm a badass and can't be called pet names' act.

Later Kate felt better, so the duo just believed it was something she ate. The days passed and before they knew it, her birthday was upon them. Kate now believed that his surprise had something to do with her birthday, so she went into the precinct on her own, making a stop on her way there. She suddenly felt sick again, so she pulled up to the closest convenient store and emptied her stomach into a nasty public restroom toilet. After that, she roamed the isles and waited for her stomach to calm down. That's when she came a crossed it, that little box with a test that would forever change both her and Castle's life forever. Depending on the results, she might just have her own surprise for him tonight. Surprisingly, she wasn't too nervous, but instead a little bit excited. She had to get to work, so she decided to take the test on her lunch hour and tell Castle the news that she desperately hoped she would get.

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Unlocking the door to the loft, Kate flipped on the lights. She was greeted by a room erupted in a course of "Surprise!" and a ruggedly handsome writer down on one knee in front of her with a ring box in his shaking hands. He was dressed in a suit and tie with rose petals surrounding him in the shape of a heart around the floor. Castle took in a shallow breath and began his proposal, "Kate, since the day we first met, I knew you were going to forever change my life. You have given my daughter the proper mother figure. You have given my mother a daughter of sorts. And most of all, you have given me all the happiness and love that this world has to offer. I love you so much, Kate. Will you marry me?"

Kate nodded frantically and whispered yes over and over again until Rick slipped the ring into her finger, making the crowd of friends and family erupt into applause and cheers of congratulations. Kate pulled him to his feet and kissed him with all the love in to world. She pulled back, framing his face with her hands and whispered, "Hold on, stay right here, I have something for you too."

With all eyes on her and a silent room, Kate went over to her purse and pulled out a small gift box. Walking over to her fiancé, she held onto the box tightly before handing it over to the author. He looked confused and cautious.

Rick Castle opened the box to see a positive pregnancy test with the words "You're going to be a daddy again" written under it in Kate's neat handwriting.

"You... We're… We're pregnant?" Rick stammered out with the biggest smile on his face. Kate nodded before he kissed her again, the crowd cheering once again in the background.

Even on her own birthday, Kate managed to out-do him with surprises.

**Well Sarah, I hope you enjoyed this! You are one of the best friends anybody could ask for! I love you!**

**As for everyone else, thank you for taking the time to read this! Review? **


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